Water-heating apparatus.



J. C. JONES, J. W. GAMBLE & H. E. SIBSUN.

WATER HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.15, 1909.

WITN ESSES Patented Nov. 18, 1913 COLUMBIA FINOGRAPH CO'AVASHINGTON. D. c.

" ATIORNEY STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. JGNES, JOSEPH W. GAMBLE, ANB HORACE E. SBSON, OE P'-LADELPEIA,

Y PENNSYLVANIA, lASSIGNGRS TO HARRSON SAFETY 'BGILER WORKS, OP PHILADEL- PHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A COPABTNEBSEP OE PENNSYLVANIA.

WATER-HEATING APPARATUS.

To `@ZZ whom if?? may concern Be it known that we, kJOHN C. JONES, JosErH lV.A GAMBLE, and lHormon E. SIBsoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVater-Heating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to water heating apparatus andhas reference particularlyT to apparatus for hea-ting water which is to be used in theboilers of locomotives or other steam engines or in heating systems.

The invention is directed to the provision of `an improved form ot water heating apparatus which is reliable and efficient in operation, which may be constructed at comparatively low cost and with which economy of operation is Obtained by reason of the utilization of the heatcontained in steam eX- hausted or blown ofi from boilers for heating water which is afterward to be used in boilers or heating systems.

The yapparatus constructed in accordance with our Ainvention is of particular utility in locomotive round-houses for heating water to be used in washing and filling locomotive boilers, the steam blown off from the boilers beine` employed for heating this washing` and boiler-feed water.

In accordance with the invention a tank is provided for the storage ot' water which is to be ted to the boilers and means are provided o-r passing steam exhausted or blown oit' from a boiler thr ugh the water in the tank so as to raise the temperature of this water; and in combination with these parts, a heater is employ-ed into which cold water is admitted and wherein this cold water is subjected to the heating effect ot' steam so as to raise the temperature of the water, after which this heated water is admitted to the storage tank. ln order to utilize the heating effect ot the steam in the heater to the tull extent a circulating' system is provided by whichis maintained a continuous circulation of the water in the storage tank through the heater land back to the storage tank. rThis circula-ting` system maintains a stream oi ter from the storage tank passing` through Specification of Letters Patent.

Application :tiled October 15, 1909.

Patented Nov. 18,1913.

Serial No. 522,742.

the heater at all times yso as to take up the heat units in the ste-am passing through the heater, and if water is drawn from the storagetank so to reduce the level of the water stored therein, connections are automatically Opened for introducing additional water from a cold water supply pipe to the heater, whereby the supply of water within the storage tank is replenished. ln combination with the parts above mentioned, we employ an additional water heater for providing hot water for purposes other than those for which the water in the storage tank is used, this water being also heated by eX- haust steam but preferably by steam from a source dilierent from that ofthe steam emw ployed in the storage tank and the water heater employed in conjunction therewith. rThe two water heaters, however', are preferably so combined or connected that if steam is admitted to the second heater' in excess of the amount required for heating the water employed therein, this excess steam will pass 'into the other heater rand aid in heating the water passing therethrough to the storage tank.

rllhe preferred embodiment ot' our invention is illustrated in the accompanying draw- 'ing` which is a diagran'imatic view showing the various devices employed and the connections between them.

Referring to these drawings, l indicates the tank in which is stored the water for use in the boilers of the locomotives either as washing water or boiler-feed water; the tank is provided with the usual `drain-cock 2. A pump 3 is employed for pumping water from the tank l to a suitable main adapted to be connected with the boilers of any of the locomotives in the round house; this pump is connected by a pipe et to the upper portion of tank l so as to draw the water from the tank at a point near the surface of the water therein and itv pumps the water through a pipe 5 to the locomotives. lVhen a locomotive is tobe washed and refilled suitable connection is made with a pipe 6 having a check-valve 7 therein and this pipe is connected by a pipe S to a blow-OH chamber 9. In pipe 8 is a back-pressure valve l0 suchthat if the pressure wit-hin the chamber 9V exceeds a certain pre-determined amount the valve -10 willoperate to relieve this pressure. Both the water and the steam in the locomotive boiler are blown off through the pipe G to the chamber 9 but it is not desired to employ this blow-off water in heating the water within the tank 1 for the reason that such blow-off Water contains impurities which make it unsuitable for furtheruse in a boiler. `For this reason a connection is made by a pipe -11 from the upper portion of the blow-oli1 chamber 9 to the storage tank 1 and means are provided for precluding the rising ofthe water in chamber 9 to sucha level as'rwill permitL it to iow through pipe 11. Mounted adjacent to or secured to one side of the chamber' 9 is 'a steam trap 12 having therein a suitable floatvalve for permitting the escape of the water from the chamber 9 as soon' as it rises to a certain level within chamber* 9, this water flowing to waste through a pipe 13. Vithin chamber 9 is a baiile-plate 14: afxed to the wall of the chamber over the opening leading to the steam trap 12 and extending downwardly in proximity to the bottomv of the chamber 9 so that the water which iows into t-he steam trap 12 is drawn from the bottom of the chamber 9. By reason of the provision ot' this ba'liie-plate, the watertlowing out of the chamber 9 is the colder water at the bottom of the chamber and therefore ample time is secured for the liberation of the steam in the water blown off from the boiler before that water passes out of the blow-off chamber. At the bottom of the chamber 9 is a drain-cock 15. The pipe 11 extends along one or both sides of the storage tank 1 near the bottom of the latter and at a plurality of points along its length is provided with connections 16 for carrying the steam from pipe 11 into the tank 1. W'ithin the tank the steam rises through the Water and imparts its heat-to the water. From the top of the tank 1connection is made by a pipe 17 to the upper portion of a Vfeed water heater 18 so that the steam which rises through the water in the storage tank passes through the pipe 17 to the heater 18. lNithin the heater 18 are a plurality of trays 19 arranged in the usual manner so that water admittedV at the top of the heater will pass down through the several trays 19 successively vand at the same time the steam carried to the heater 18 vby the pipe 17 will pass upwardly through the trays 19 and im-` part its heat to this water, the steam escaping through an exhaust pipe 20 extending upwardly from the heater A18. `Water is admitted to the top of the series'of trays 19 by a pipe 21 and this water after being heated by the steam falls within the heater 18 and passes from it through a pipe 22 to thestorage tank 1. In order to maintain the proper level of -thewater within .the supply tank by automatically replenishing thesupply after water has been drawn from the tank, f

afloat-operated valve 23eis provided inthe cold water vsupply pipe 21', this valve being opened and closed bythe float24within the" tank 1 and connected by suitable levers with thervalve 23.

` A circulation of water is maintainedV at all i.

times from the tank 1 through the heater 18 i k f by means of av circulating Vpump2 so that the water in the supply tank is being constantly subjected to the heating effect of the steam which has passed through the Supply tank 1 and into the heater 18.,V The circulatf ing pump 25 is connected by a pipey 26 tothe top of the heater 18 and it 'draws'w'ater through a pipe 27.

from the bottom of the storage* tank. 1d`

In combination with the parts above de scribed a second water heater 28 is employed Jfor heating water for use indevices other thanv those which aresupplied with water from the storage tank 1. The heater Y 28 receives cold water from the vpipe 21 byV means of a pipe 29, this water being ad-1 mitted at the top of the heater and allowed to fall over trays 30. While passing through'v Y f Y i these trays, the water is subjected to thev heating eilect of steam admitted to vthe heater 28 through a pipe 31, this vpipe con'- necting with the exhaust of stationary steam engines and other apparatus which may' the heater 28, this'ioat being connected to the valve 32 by suitable levers and links 34,

and the water after being Vheated is drawn ofi from the bottom of the heater by a pump 35 connected to the heater by a pipe 36 as such water'is required for use.

.ico

The two y heaters 28 and 18 are preferably built in av single structure but whether they are thus .I

united or built separately a connection is A made between them, as shown at 37, so that n if the supply of steam through the pipe 31 ,y to the heater 28 is in excess of that re- 5 quired for heating the water admitted toy the heater 28, this excess steam will pass through the connection 37 tothe heatery 18 and in passing up through the'trays 1 9 it l will aid in heating the water supplied tof the 'storage tank 1.

rlhe water within the storage tank 1- is.,v normally maintained at or near the teinperature desired for water which isto be fed into the boilers of the locomotivefor filling the latter in preparing them for use,

but in some cases it is desired to use water at a lower temperature than this, as forr` stance in washing the boilers ofthe locomo-- tives. To permit of obtaining` water at such reduced temperature a connection is made by a pipe 38 from the cold water supply pipe Q1 to the pipe 5y through which water is pumped to the boilers of the locomotives from the storage tank 1. ln the pipe 38 is a. hand-operated valve 89 and in the pipe 5 is a hand-operated valve #l0 so that by regulating these valves water at the desired temperature may be obtained in the pipe 5 beyond the connection of the pipe 88 thereto.

ln employing the apparatus above described a locomotive to be washed and refilled is connected in any suitable manner yto the pipe 6 and the contents of the boiler of t-he locomotive are blown olf into the chamber 9. lVithin this chamber the steam rises from the water and the water flows off through the trap 12 and pipe 13 to waste. The water drawn otl1 from the chamber 9 is taken from the bottom of the chamber so that ample time is secured for the libera tion of the steam from the water. This steam passes through the pipe 11 to the water in the storage tank so that it serves to heat the water in the tank and such steam as is not condensed in the tank passes through pipe 17 to the heater 18, upwardly through the trays 19 and out through the pipe 20. .Hit all times a circulation is maintained of water drawn from the bottom of the storage tank 1 through the pipes 2T and 26, over the trays within the heater 18 and then through the connection 22 to the storage tank, so that the stored water is being constantly subjected to the heating e'ect of the steam within the heater. If any water is drawn from the storage tank the floatvalve 23 is automatically operated to admit cold water to the heater 18 which water after being heated is passed into the tank 1 to replenish the supply of the latter. Therefore the tank 1 is kept constantly lled with water at a temperature suitable for introduction into the boilers of locomotives by means of the pump 3 and pipe 5 to refill those boilers, and this water is economically heated by utilizing for this purpose steam blown oft' from the locomotive. Furthermore, stationary boilers and other apparatus employed in the plant may be supplied with hot water from the heater 28 which water is heated by steam entering the heater obtained through the same connection as that by which filling water is supplied by manually operating valves 39 and O to admit sufficient cold water from pipe 21 along with the water drawn from the storage tank so that the supply will be at the proper temperature.

Having `described our invention, what we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States is: 1. AThe combination of a chamber, a pipe connected thereto adapted for connectionto a boiler so that the contents of the boiler may be discharged into said chamber, means for withdrawing the water from the bottom of said chamber, a tank, a pipe connecting the upper part of said chamberv with the lower part of said tank for carrying steam from the chamber to the tank, a heater having a water-chamber in the lower portion thereof, a connection between said heater at a point above the water-chamber therein and the upper portion of said tank, a pipe for supplying water to said heater, a valve in said pipe, a float within said tank controlling said valve, a connection between the water chamber within said heater and said tank, a pipe for withdrawing water from said tank, and means independent of said pipe for maintaining a circulation of the water from said tank through said heater, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination of a tank, means for supplying steam to said tank at a plurality of distributed points in the lower portion thereof, an open feed-water heater having a plurality of trays therein and a waterchamber in the lower portion thereof, a water-supply pipe connected to the heater for supplying water to said trays, a valve in said pipe, a float in said tank controlling said valve, a steam connection from the upper portion of said tank to said heater at a point in the heater above the water-chamber thereof, a connection from the water chamber of the heater to the tank, means for withdrawing water from the tank, and means for maintaining a circulation of water from the lower portion of the tank through the heater, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a tank, means for supplying steam to said tank at a plurality of distributed points in the lower portion thereof, an open feed-water heater having a plurality of trays therein and a waterchamber in the lower portion thereof, a water-supply pipe connected to the heater for supplying water to said trays, a valve in said pipe, a float in said tank controlling said valve, a steam connection from the upper portion of said tank to said heater at point in the heater above the water-chamber thereof, a connection from the water chamber of the heater to the tank, means for v .withdrawing water from the tank, Vmeans l This :specification signed and witnessed `10 for maintaining a, circulation of water from lthis 12th day of October, 1909.

the 1owe1` portion of the tank through'A the heater, a see'on'doopeny feed-,water heater, 'a if:

5 steam suppl Vand Aa1watersupp1y thereto y s and a connehti'on between the two heaters7 HORACE E' SIBKSON' for carrying surplus steam ,in one ofthe Witnesses: heaters'into 'theothen substantially as set V L. ROBERT-G. CLIFTON, forth. W. ATwooD MEHARG.

n Copiespf thisV patent may be obtained 'forrvecents eaten, by addressing the Conimissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

